Abstract
This article presents a comprehensive review of academic research pertaining to auditor
independence and audit quality. This literature review is conducted based on published articles
during the period 1976-2013 in nine leading journals related to auditing. We organize
our review around four main threats to auditor independence, namely, (a) client importance,
(b) non-audit services, (c) auditor tenure, and (d) client affiliation with audit firms.
For each of the threats, we discuss findings related to the incentives, perceptions, and behaviors
of the auditor and the client, as well as the effects of each threat on the actual and
perceived quality of audits and financial reports. We conclude that the mixed evidence,
together with recent regulatory changes, provides opportunities for future research on
auditor independence and audit quality.
Keywords
auditor independence, audit quality, client importance, non-audit services, auditor tenure,
client affiliation
Introduction
Since its creation, the Board has conducted hundreds of inspections of registered public
accounting firms each year . . . the Board continues to find instances in which it appears that
auditors did not approach some aspect of the audit with the required independence, objectivity
and professional skepticism.
James R. Doty, Chairman, Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, March 28, 2012, testimony
before U.S. House Committee on Financial Services
Over the years, regulators have expressed concerns about auditor independence and taken
actions to mitigate those concerns. These actions include the passage of the 2002
Sarbanes–Oxley (SOX) Act, which prohibits the auditor from providing most non-audit